Nine people, including a married couple, have been detained in connection with motorcycle thefts, house break-ins and roadside robberies.

ACP Nik Ros Azhan (2nd from left) showing items seized from the suspects during the press conference at SPT police headquarters in Bukit Mertajam on Thursday.

Nine people, including a married couple, have been detained by the Central Seberang Perai (SPT) district police, Penang today in connection with motorcycle thefts, house break-ins and roadside robberies.

With the arrest, the district police believe that they had crippled a notorious robbery gang called ‘Poling Gang’ that had been active in the district and nearby places for past six months.

A police raiding party rounded up the suspects, aged between 21 and 44, who were allegedly members of ‘Gang Poling’, and also seized mobile phones, computer laptops, pawn tickets, motorcycles, all believed to be stolen goods, and tools allegedly used to carry out the crimes.

The suspects have been remanded until tomorrow Sep 16, to assist investigation under Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) 1959 and Section 394 and 459 of the Penal Code.

Acting on a tip-off, police detained five people, including the couple, in a house in Tasek Gelugor at about 8.45am.

Later the raiding party detained four other men, who were allegedly purchasers of stolen goods and pawn tickets, in different places in SPT district and nearby areas.

Police believe that the suspects were involved at least 10 motorcycles thefts and house break-ins that took place in Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam in mainland Seberang Perai, Penang, and Kulim in Kedah since March this year.

Speaking at a press conference at SPT police headquarters in Bandar Baru Perda, Bukit Mertajam in Penang today, SPT OCPD Assistant Commissioner Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said ‘Gang Poling’ was a newly formed criminal group by an ex-convict, who was released from jail early this year.

Among the cases the suspects were investigated for is last month’s robbery of a lady lecturer in Permatang Pauh.

In the Aug 23 incident, the robbers pursuit the victim’s car on their motorcycles, blocked her car and broke the car door window, before fleeing with the lady’s chain, ring, mobile phone and tablet.